Sad bear story

[Slickcraft]

The sow had to be put down after a period of being fed by the neighbors. Each year there are lots of bear reports in this area, OK to watch but never provide a source of food.

From WMUR web site today.

Bear Cub Rescued From Tree After Mother Killed
Officials Say Cub Will Be Returned To Wild

POSTED: 10:54 am EDT June 4, 2010

HINSDALE, N.H. -- New Hampshire Fish and Game Department officials said a 6-month-old bear cub that spent two days in a tree after its mother was killed is being trained to live in the wild on its own.

Fish and Game Capt. Kevin Jordan said the female cub was lured out of the Hinsdale tree Thursday with doughnuts.

The cub's mother had been hanging around a Hinsdale neighborhood since it came out of hibernation last winter.

Jordan told the New Hampshire Union Leader the bear stayed because people were feeding it. One neighbor was giving it peanut butter sandwiches. The mother bear had to be shot earlier this week after it started raising havoc on a back porch.

The 20-pound cub was turned over to a bear rehabilitator in Lyme.

[lake4life]

Sad indeed. I wonder if a call to Fish & Game would have been a better idea. Tranquilizing and relocating the momma and cub would have been cheaper and more humane than a long rehabilitation.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by lake4life

Sad indeed. I wonder if a call to Fish & Game would have been a better idea. Tranquilizing and relocating the momma and cub would have been cheaper and more humane than a long rehabilitation.

F&G are the only people that can make the call to shoot an animal out of season that has not been terminally injured or isn't creating an direct threat to a person. It is hard telling whether they made that call or if it was handled outside of their office. The real shame is that someone thought it was a good idea to feed the bear sandwiches. In my opinion that person should be paying any bills that might come due in regard to this issue.

The animal rehabilitators are doing a really cool thing. My old boss' wife is a wildlife rehabilitator and often had skunks, raccoons, fox and other small animals in the pens in the back yard. That is typically done at no charge to the state or F&G, larger animals that may be a different story, so I cannot comment as that is not what she handled. You also have to be registered in order to do this.


People need to keep some distance with wild animals, seems like every nature lovin hippy, thinks that they are saving the world by feeding an animal like this. They are part of the problem, not the solution.

But, that is an endless debate between the AL's and the hunters that participate in a proper regulated species management program.

It is really sad that it had to go down like this, unfortunately a line was crossed with the bear.